


Dragon Age Stories

by badgerterritory



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: (all my inquisitors are trans), transquisitor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2015-02-07
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2780963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badgerterritory/pseuds/badgerterritory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A place to collect any and all of my Dragon Age stories under 1000 words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. cole needs to brush his goddamn hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my sole dream for dragon age dlc is the one that lets me mother cole [Anna Trevelyan]

Anna approached Cole in the tavern, one hand hiding behind her back. “Hello, Cole,” she said fondly.

“Hello,” Cole said, eyeing her a bit warily. After they found the man who killed the first Cole and encouraged their Cole to be more human, he also began to learn suspicion, especially when smiling women held things behind their backs. “What do you have?”

Anna revealed the brush. “To honor you becoming more human, several of us, although honestly mostly just me and Dorian, decided that you should either get your hair cut or, at the very least, brushed out of your eyes.”

Cole looked at the brush with obvious mistrust, then back at Anna. “Hair growing long, like I want it. Mother holds it, says it’s growing too much. Cut or brush. She accepts but doesn’t understand. Has to be enough.” He relaxed. Slightly. “Okay. I’ll let you brush it.”

She smiled. If it was a little brittle, Cole had the good sense not to mention it. “Thank you, Cole. And remind me to talk with you about boundaries again.”

“Talk with me about boundaries again,” Cole said with a slight smile. He almost definitely got that one from Varric, but she didn’t mind the poor joke. She brought him down to the tavern floor, sat him on a chair, then sat on the table and started fretting over his hair, eventually involving Iron Bull, Dorian, and even, surprisingly, Cassandra in its styling. (Bull said she should make it stand straight up. Everyone else shot him down immediately.)

It was back to its usual appearance the next day, but a few weeks later Cole asked her to style his hair again. Anna had to repress the surge of sisterly affection she felt at that, and told him she'd run and get her things.


	2. everyone loves cole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cassandra talks to cole about the inquisitor who makes a cameo appearance (direct sequel to previous chapter) [Anna Trevelyan]

“Hello, Cole,” Cassandra said, sitting next to him. “Hello… _Varric_.”

“Hey, Seeker,” Varric said, voice friendly, body shifting a few inches away. “Want me to deal you in? I’m teaching the kid to play Wicked Grace.”

Cassandra shook her head. “I’m content to watch, for now. I have little else to do.”

While Varric tried to explain the rules to Cole, who kept getting distracted by people drowning their sorrows in the tavern, the Inquisitor came through, heading up to Sera’s room. Cassandra murmured, “I was wondering, Cole, if you knew why the Inquisitor was so intent on… fussing over you. And your appearance.”

Cole picked up a card and rubbed one of its corners with his fingers before replying. “Young, too young to know the language I’m using. Doesn’t understand. But innocent, happy to help her sister. I wish the rest could be like her.” He fiddled with his hat briefly. “She has a lot of hurts. She left her family with angry words. Some of them died before she could apologize. She doesn’t like to talk about it, but helping me helps her. So I like it when she helps me.”

“Oh,” Cassandra said. She knew enough about the Inquisitor to know she was insecure about the way people talked about her. She’d snapped at Sera enough times for even her to get the hint, although it took a threat of forcible expulsion to stop the crude jokes. And she knew that she wasn’t on good terms with her family, although she didn’t know the Inquisitor still dwelled on it.

Maybe she needed to speak with the Inquisitor more? Cole said, “She’s fine, for now. She’s all settled in her skin, the old hurts buried beneath what she wants to be, what she is. That’s not me, being what I am. She talks to me sometimes. She gave me a flower crown to put on top of my hat and said she did that with her brother all the time. She isn’t all fine all the time, but she likes the way her body is, the way other people see her. You don’t need to worry about her.”

Cole had that slightly anxious look he always got when he needed to know if he’d helped, so Cassandra smiled warmly at him. “Thank you, Cole. I think I will help teach you to play. Varric is most likely teaching you to cheat.”

Varric scoffed. “Is it really cheating if the kid’s just using his natural gifts, Seeker?”

“Yes,” she said flatly. Cole began shuffling cards and Cassandra watched carefully, in case Varric taught him something sneaky.


	3. cassandra & trevelyan sitting in a tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cassandra interrupts note time [Mia Trevelyan]

Mia was sitting in front of her mirror, running her fingers across her face. She could feel the hairs growing, which annoyed her. It’d been a while since she had the time to sit down and treat herself. She let the magic run through her fingers, and then ran her fingers across her face. The hairs melted away where her fingers passed, and she did this multiple times.

After that she made her tea, warming it quickly with magic, and sipped it slowly as she sat down to work on her notes. It was a special tea she’d made with a few others of the Ostwick Circle, happily discovered by accident.

When the Ostwick Circle was thrown into the rebellion, Mia had been, quite literally, in the middle of her notes. She’d made a breakthrough with one of her best friends and they were recording their work when Lyssa, the kindest templar Mia knew, arrived and told them that the Circle and the Order had been officially dissolved. What that meant for them, nobody particularly knew at the time.

Eventually, it was decided that the mages who wanted to would stay in the tower, and the templars would continue protecting the mages, until they knew more of what was happening. Even though, technically, every single mage in the tower was an apostate.

Most of Mia’s older friends were Libertarians, and they left the second they were afforded the opportunity. Mia had asked after them, once they arrived in Haven; most of them were dead, slain by templars, although a few had either joined the rebel mages or found somewhere to live quietly and continue their research.

And then the Conclave happened, and Mia was sent with several other apprentices and enchanters and a dozen templars to attempt to be the voice of reason. And then…

Mia sighed, setting her notes down, and became aware that Cassandra was on the stairs, watching. “I did not want to interrupt,” Cassandra said.

“It’s just notes.” Mia stretched, and then she smiled at Cassandra. “What was it that you needed?”

Cassandra stepped into the room. “It was nothing important. May I ask, what are your notes about?”

“Gender magic, mostly.”

Cassandra frowned slightly. “Gender… magic?”

Mia chuckled. “Just a nickname we gave it. Cosmetic magic, mostly, with a little body modification magic thrown in. It can’t have escaped you that I’m not exactly the same as other women. Ostwick was a sort of haven for women like us. It was good, all things considered. The templars were, for the most part, kind, and those who weren’t were brought in line by their fellows. And I’d only seen two people made Tranquil, who had toed the line far too precariously and had nearly been possessed. All of the abuses some of the others talked about seemed far away and impossible.” She stood up. “I digress. All our experiments were practical. A few of the others helped, on occasion, but mostly it was just a group of friends figuring out what we wanted our bodies to be, and how to get them there.”

Cassandra was silent for a few moments before letting out a small noise. “Sometimes I forget that magic has more uses than fire and lightning. It is good to be reminded.”

Mia giggled. “Don’t you remember how I barely knew combat magic when you met me? I never had much time for it, even though I knew it could save my life someday. Almost every waking hour was spent working on my gender magic.”

Cassandra smiled gently. “Well… you are clearly very skilled with it. You are very lovely, Lady Trevelyan.”

For a minute, Mia couldn’t think straight. Then she grinned. “Are you trying to flatter me, Cassandra?”

Immediately, Cassandra was backing away, blushing fiercely. “I am... we have discussed this! I am not interested in women, and you are…”

“I just asked if you were complimenting me, Cassandra,” Mia giggled. “You’re the one who jumped there. I wonder why?”

Cassandra’s mouth opened and closed slowly. Then, she ran down the stairs. Mia smiled, reheated her tea, and went back to her notes with a confidence boost.


	4. flower crown day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cole continues to be my son; sort of a remake of the first story [Mia Trevelyan]

Mia strolled up to the tavern, inside, up the stairs, up the second flight of stairs, walked right up to Cole and said, “Come with me.”

“Okay,” Cole said, following her down the second flight of stairs, down the stairs, and out of the tavern. She took him to the keep, and commanded him to bathe and wash his hair while she sat outside. When he was done, Mia helped him dry off his hair, then broke out into laughter because it was starting to curl all over the place.

As she was brushing his hair, drying and straightening it with magic, Cole asked, “What are you doing?”

Mia smiled. “Can’t you just read my mind?” Cole opened his mouth and Mia interjected, “I know I asked you to avoid that when possible. I’m sorry, it was a poor joke. I couldn’t stand you looking like something a mabari dragged out of a river. I don’t have anything to do, so I thought we could make a day of it. Complete makeover.”

“Oh,” Cole said. “Okay. That sounds nice.”

She brushed his hair out of his eyes to start, parting it in the middle and tucking his hair behind his ears. Once that was done it was simply a matter of sketching out a few styles for him before he picked one at random, and then Mia efficiently braided it.

Once that was done they went to the Skyhold tailor, the woman Vivienne had insisted on bringing in. After a few explanations, she was quite willing to find some clothing for Cole. Since he skewed toward the practical, the clothes they picked out were mostly Fereldan.

Then Mia took him to the garden.

A few hours later, Cassandra found them picking and weaving flowers. Morrigan (who hadn't left solely because Kieran asked her not to) had her arms crossed in annoyance with two flower crowns on her head, both threatening to fall off. Kieran was sitting with his back to the rest, four flower crowns piled on his head. Cole had three, and Mia had seven, precariously balanced. Cassandra asked, “Are there any more flowers left in the garden, I wonder? What are you doing?”

Mia grinned up at her. “I’m teaching Cole and Kieran how to make flower crowns. And yes, there are still plenty of flowers left in the garden. If you like, you could stay. We’re trying to figure out which flowers Josephine would like the most, and I’m sure your help would be invaluable.”

Cassandra stared down at them, then turned to leave. A moment later, she sighed heavily and sat down next to Kieran, who transferred two of his crowns to her. “Thank you, Kieran,” she said, then, “How do I make one of these?”


	5. hammer time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> elaine is not happy after halamshiral [Elaine Trevelyan]

Cole was watching the Inquisitor. She was hitting things with her hammer, swinging it more vigorously than usual. Varric came up and asked, “What’re you doing, kid?”

“I’m watching the Inquisitor.” He pointed helpfully. “She’s angry,” he added, perhaps a bit unnecessarily. “ _Dragons with wicked eyes and wicked hearts, on blackened wings does deceit take flight._ She doesn’t like Orlais. She wanted to hit everyone there with her hammer.”

Varric considered the situation, briefly. “Okay. Keep a watch on her, Cole. I’ll be right back.”

Cullen followed Varric to the training area, where Elaine was destroying everything she wouldn’t be fined for destroying. “Thank you,” he said to the dwarf. “I’ll… figure out some way to talk to her and retain my head, I think.”

As he approached, Elaine set the head of her hammer on the ground and leaned against it. “Do you want to spar, Cullen? I asked Cassandra, but she said I was in a _mood_ and went off to read her book, and all the soldiers are too afraid of me.”

Cullen chuckled. “I’d be afraid of you, the way you were swinging that hammer.”

Elaine just smirked. “Well, you and your head have nothing to fear from me. Varric was smart, getting my lover to come talk to me. I’d never hurt you. Well, at least until after tonight.”

“I am deeply wounded at the implication you are only using me for sex.” He moved closer, and Elaine allowed him to embrace her. “You’re joking, so you can’t be too angry.”

“ _Dragons with wicked eyes and wicked hearts._ ” Elaine laughed, bitterly, with a bitter expression. “Sometimes people forget how good my hearing is, I think. The Empress, Gaspard, Briala. I wish I could have just bashed their skulls in and have been done with it.”

“I’d like to have seen the commotion that would have brought about.”

Elaine laughed again, a little less brittle. “I probably would have invented a new fashion. Orlesians everywhere would begin executing heads of state. Perhaps they would have invented a special device for it, to make it less messy.”

Cullen laughed and Elaine finally smiled. “There’s the lovely smile I adore,” he murmured. “Come on. If you promise there’ll be pieces of me left over, I think we can spar a little.”

In the distance, Cole said, “She’s not thinking of sparring.”

Varric chuckled. “We can all see her hand on his ass, Cole, I think everyone knows what she’s thinking of.”


	6. story time with varric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everyone keeps embarrassing cullen poor man [Elaine Trevelyan]

“Room for one more at the table?”

Varric glanced up and grinned. “Well, well, the Inquisitor herself, gracing us with her presence!”

Elaine sat down next to Cullen, shuffling him closer to Josephine. “Well, my advisors have finally stopped working me to death, and I have no prior engagements tonight.” She eyed Cullen, who blushed. “Not for lack of trying.”

“New rule,” Dorian announced suddenly. “No kissing at the table unless someone wants to kiss me.” He made eyes at Cullen.

Elaine dramatically threw her arms around Cullen. “Do you have plans for my man, Dorian? Because I am absolutely prepared to duel you to protect his nonexistent chastity.”

“Okay, okay, everyone calm down.” Varric lifted his deck of cards. “No duels tonight. Just luck. Inquisitor, you can duel for your lover’s honor in the morning.”

“I don’t need anyone to duel for my honor,” Cullen grumbled. Elaine ruffled his hair. So cute.

After a few hands, Elaine decided to ask Varric for a story or two. “Any tales from Kirkwall that didn’t make it into your book, Varric?”

Varric chuckled. “Oh, there were plenty. Once, when me and Hawke were drunk, we went to the Gallows and managed to convince a templar that I was a mage for a good ten minutes, probably.”

Cullen dropped his cards. (Elaine got a good look at them before he picked them up again. Shitty hand.) “That was me!” he cried out. “You said you were a short human and Hawke made it look like you were doing magic!”

Varric burst out laughing and Elaine ruffled his hair again, consolingly. For the next few hands, Varric told random stories and then,

“Oh! Here’s another good one.” Varric stopped shuffling and started to deal. “It was me, Hawke, and Blondie. Middle of the night, we sneak into the Gallows and we steal someone’s underclothes, stuff them all in a barrel. For the next week, some poor knight had to go around asking people if they knew anything about stolen underpants.”

Cullen’s head hit the table.

“Those were my clothes you stole!”

The entire table burst into laughter.


	7. the inquisitor's daugher, act one (in 7 act acts)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the inquisitor finds a small child and takes her home. [Kia Cadash]

i. in hushed whispers

“So,” Kia said slowly, “I know some of you might be upset. Some of you might already know. But I sort of… adopted a child while we were in Redcliffe.”

“What,” Leliana said flatly, obviously not forewarned by her spies or Cassandra.

“Well, there was this orphaned elf girl, she was seeking refuge with the rebel mages…”

Cullen broke in with a “She’s a mage, too?”

“Not a very good one!” A tad defensive, perhaps. Kia reined it in. “Look, she was frightened, and confused, and I just sort of… wound up talking with her. And then I sort of wound up adopting her. The King even made it official before he kicked us all out, which was rather nice of him.”

Leliana made a face like she was holding back a smile. Josephine was the one who sighed and said, “For now, we will… arrange something. Perhaps we can even use this to our advantage. I think you should go be with your daughter for now, Lady Cadash.”

Kia smiled at them and went to find Kell.

*             *             *

ii. in your heart shall burn

The second she heard there was an army approaching, Kia turned to Cassandra. “Take Kell. Get her to the Chantry. I’m going to the gates.” She took a moment to kneel in front of her daughter and hug her. “It’ll be okay,” she murmured in the young girl’s ear. “I promise. I’m going to be with you soon.”

Then there was fighting, and a trebuchet or two, and then a fucking _archdemon_ fell out of the fucking sky. Kia fought her way back to the Chantry.

And then there was a plan. “I’ll be back,” she promised the small, shaking elf who’d attached herself to Dorian’s robes. “I promise, Kell.”

(She would only learn later that Kell, afterwards, attached herself to Josephine and refused to leave her, even when Josephine met with Cullen and Leliana.

Kia took that as a sign that her daughter knew she liked Josephine.)

*             *             *

iii. here lies the abyss

Josie didn’t like it when Kell waited at the gates. But she was perfectly okay. Sometimes, Kieran joined her, and they talked. He was weird, but fun. More usually, Sera or Varric sat with her. She liked Varric more. He told funny stories and understood better that she was really, really worried about her mother.

She overheard from one of the grownups that she went into the Fade. Kell didn’t know much about the Fade, but she did know that it was very, very dangerous. The other mages she lived with were all scared of it, and the demons inside.

Varric told her not to worry. “Your mother’s been in the Fade before. And she’s the toughest woman I know.” But Kell didn’t stop worrying, and he knew that, and still sat with her and told her stories.

It was an entire week before Kell finally saw her mother riding in. She managed to wait until she was actually off her horse before running at her and hugging her. Her mother kissed her forehead over and over and told her how much she missed her and Kell giggled, “Mother! You forgot to shave again! You’re itchy!”

Still. It was really good to have her back.

*             *             *

iv. wicked eyes and wicked hearts

“The Inquisitor? A dwarf?”

“I heard she had a knife-ear mage for a daughter.”

“Inquisitor.” Cassandra’s hand was like a vice grip on her shoulder. “Please, Inquisitor, do not kill anyone at the party. We have a duty here, and we cannot fulfill it if we are ejected for murder.”

Kia scowled. She’d figure out who those nobles were and put something in their drinks, probably.

*             *             *

v. what pride had wrought

“It was amazing, honestly,” Kia murmured, her chin resting on her daughter’s head. “Your ancestors were capable of some great stonework, honestly. I may not know much about stone, but that? That definitely rivalled anything in Orzammar. From what I can remember of the place, anyway.”

Kell smiled. “I wish I could see it. It sounds super pretty.”

“Orzammar, or the Mythal place?”

That brought a small giggle out. “Both, I guess? Orzmar sounds really pretty, too.”

*             *             *

vi. doom upon all the world

“I’ll be right back,” Kia murmured, kissing her daughter’s forehead. “I just have to kick some magister ass. Stay with Josie. You’ll be safe. Help her plan the party we're going to have once I return.”

*             *             *

vii. epilogue

Kia curled up with Josephine, their daughter spread across their laps. “This is wonderful,” Kia sighed. “Finally having a moment to breathe with my girls.”

“Mm,” Josephine murmured.

“You know, I hear Orzammar is lovely this time of year. What do you say? You, me, Kell, a dozen Inquisition soldiers probably, some dank, hot caves?”

Josephine laughed. “You are doing an excellent job convincing me.” She turned her head and kissed Kia lightly on the nose. “I would be happy to accompany you to Orzammar.”


	8. the inquisitor's daughter, act two (a story in 10 act acts)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the inquisitor's daughter with each of the companions (and a bonus), a followup to the previous chapter. [Kia Cadash]

i. Cassandra

When the Herald left, it was usually Cassandra who was tasked with watching after the elven girl she adopted. She didn’t particularly mind, but she had little in common with children. Less with orphaned elven mages.

But one day she found the girl gripping frosted sheets in her sleep. Cassandra blocked her magic and roused her. “It’s okay,” Cassandra said once Kell’s eyes reached the bed. “It happens to all mages, when they are young. Do you want to learn to control yourself, so you don’t accidentally do magic?”

“Yeah,” Kell murmured. She grabbed Cassandra’s hand and let her lead her from the Chantry to one of the houses, where they wouldn’t disturb anyone.

*             *             *

ii. Varric

“So I had this huge nug in a vice grip, Isabela’s trying to get the cage ready, Merrill wandered off ages ago to steal someone’s flowers, and Hawke finally says, why are we trying to catch this nug?” Varric paused so Kell could giggle. “And I remind her that we’re looking to get a lot of money from the weird rich dwarf so we should really question it, really, but Hawke says, no, really, why are we? Let’s just put it on a leash and walk it straight up to his house! As it turns out, that was a really bad idea…” Varric spotted Kia approaching. “…But I think we’re going to leave that story for next time, kid. Hello, Herald.”

Kia smirked at him. “I hope you weren’t telling my daughter any bad stories.”

Varric scoffed. “My lady, I’m hurt. I don’t have any bad stories, only excellent ones.”

Kia gave her daughter a look, and Kell put her hands on her hips. “That’s not what your editor said!” While Varric processed that… entire event, Kia picked her daughter up and left.

*             *             *

iii. Solas

Kell got a running start. She did an acrobatic pirouette over the chair, and fell straight into Solas’s lap.

“Hi, Uncle Solas,” she said cheerfully. He closed the book he was reading and set it aside. “I want to hear more about Sylaise!” Kell said, adjusting her positioning. Solas sighed heavily, looked up at the next floor, then started telling her a story.

*             *             *

iv. Sera

Kell doesn’t like Sera much, and Sera doesn’t like her back. She has magic.

The first time she tries to go talk to Sera, she gets yelled at.

She doesn’t go back.

*             *             *

v. Dorian

Dorian opened the door to Cullen’s office. “Yes, hello Commander, do you know where the Inquisitor is? Her small elf appears to be surgically attached to me.”

Cullen smiled, biting his lip. “I’m afraid the Inquisitor has gone off to the Hissing Wastes, taking Kell’s usual watchers with her, and Josephine is away meeting nobles. You’re stuck with her for the time being, I think.”

Dorian sighed and carried the child back to the library. He wound up reading her some old Tevinter stories and he started calling her “Uncle Dorian”, which was rather adorable, he supposed.

He joined the roster of the girl’s watchers after that.

*             *             *

vi. Blackwall

Kell sits quietly while Blackwall carves wood. He’s amazed she’s so well-mannered for her age.

And then she starts asking him how many darkspawn he’s killed.

*             *             *

vii. Cole

Soft dreams of magic frost. Missing, always missing mother, mother. Fearing what she may become. Fearing yet another loss. Yearning for family. Seeing people sad, wanting to help like mothers help her.

“Cole, you’re hogging all the red paint.”

“Oh.” He lifted his fingers out of the red paint and applied them to the canvas in front of him. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Kell dipped her fingers in the paint and finished drawing a flower in Cassandra’s hair. Cole drew Varric watching Hawke, desperately wanting her to be safe with her lover in Kirkwall. Kell told him he drew pretty clouds even if she didn’t know why they were brown.

*             *             *

viii. Vivienne

Kell sat in her itchy dress and listened to Vivienne talk a lot about the dangers magic posed and how important it was for her to keep control of her magic at all times and never ever even think about demons and blah blah blah.

She liked training with Dorian or Solas better, mostly because she could convince Solas to tell her stories and Dorian didn’t really like teaching, so mostly they just sat around and he taught her about fashion. Which was probably why they didn’t teach her that much anymore.

Vivienne started talking about the importance of Circles again. Kell sunk down in her seat and tried not to groan.

*             *             *

ix. Iron Bull

“Argh!” Iron Bull went down, clutching Kell’s wood dagger to his chest. “The mighty dragon is slain by the amazing hero! Krem, did you see how she vanquished me?”

“I did indeed, Chief,” Krem said. “It was incredibly heroic, Kell. Well done.”

Kell beamed at the praise, and Iron Bull said, “Now, it’s your turn to be the dragon and Krem’s turn to be the hero. Krem, if you would?”

“No!” Kell shrieked, and ran away to avoid Krem’s tickling. Alas, she was soon caught and ‘vanquished’, which meant tickled until she had to tell Krem to stop. As soon as she caught her breath, she was off again, and the chase was afoot once more. Iron Bull sat back and accepted a mug of water from Kia.

“Thanks for agreeing to look after her today,” Kia said. “I have to get to my back-to-back meetings.” She made a face and he agreed with her wholeheartedly.

“Well,” he said, continuing to watch Krem and Kell attempt to tickle each other into submission, “it’s not like this is a chore or anything. The Chargers are happy to watch the kid whenever you need.”

*             *             *

x. (bonus!)

Kell climbed up on the horse and put her head between her antlers. “Hello, horsey,” she mumbled sleepily. “You can’t sleep either?” She made a noise at Kell. Kell nodded in agreement.

She started telling the horse stories that Varric told her. She didn’t really tell them that good, but she didn’t think the horse minded.

(The next morning, the first person to arrive at the stables found a child draped over one of the Inquisitor’s harts, gently snoring.

The Inquisitor arrived shortly and profusely apologized while carrying her sleeping daughter away.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can you tell which characters i don't really like? (hint: basically all of them tbh.) sera's rude the first time but it's ok because later she apologizes and she teaches kell fingerpainting.


	9. the inquisitor's daughter, act three (a story in three act acts)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the inquisitor's daughter with the advisors [Kia Cadash]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was originally going to do the advisors along with the companions, but i sort of... forgot to. and then while i was writing this up it occurred to me that this was the perfect opportunity for something completely obnoxious, hence the act acts. also: cullen is definitely very good at hair.

i. Leliana

Leliana could hear the child coming from a mile away. She was stomping on each stair, probably because Dorian was too busy to entertain her and her usual playmate was in the middle of his lessons, and a moment later Kell was sitting next to Leliana.

“Hello, dear,” Leliana said. “Shouldn’t you be learning right now?”

Kell huffed. Leliana could certainly sympathize. “If you want, you could feed the birds. I’m sure they’re hungry.”

It was a bit of work to get Kell to not be afraid when the birds flapped to her arm, but soon she was giggling and feeding them, giving each of them names.

(A week later Leliana caught herself calling one of the birds Mr. Featherface. The agent she was speaking with wisely decided not to comment.)

*             *             *

ii. Cullen

Cullen opened the door to his office and found Kell sitting in his chair, giving random orders to a templar who had a small smile on his face. “We can meet another time,” he said to the templar, who nodded and left after saluting both Cullen and Kell.

“I wanted to have a tea party with you but you weren’t here,” Kell explained like that completely explained the situation. “The armor man wouldn’t have a tea party with me either so we played commander. It’s a game where I give everyone orders and they have to do it, like what Mother does.”

Cullen smiled. “I see. Well, is that tea party still on the table? I think it sounds like fun.”

“Course it is.” Kell brought out an elaborate platter of things that Varric probably helped her steal from the kitchen.

(A few hours later, Cullen went to oversee training with his hair in several poorly-done braids, which prompted several people to ask who’d done his hair.)

*             *             *

iii. Josephine

Kell crawled into Josephine’s lap, her hair perfectly braided and secured in a common hairstyle. “Exciting day?” Josephine murmured, rubbing her back. Kell just let out a small ‘mm’ and fell asleep.

(Josephine decided to let her nap, even though she had a few errands to take care of. That was what assistants were for, after all.)


End file.
